Details: At 3:30 pm on October 4, 1988, auto repairman Kenneth Engie was found dead in his garage in Edmore, North Dakota. His body was discovered by his uncle, Richard Nygaard. The cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. At first, the death appeared to be a suicide. However, his family could not believe that he committed suicide.
Authorities found some suspicious evidence at the scene. A fully-loaded .22 caliber rifle was found six feet from his body. A small pool of body was found on the floor. However, there was no signs of assault on his body. The truck's gas tank was nearly full. Also, the ignition had been turned off. With this evidence, authorities began to look into the possibility of foul play. They found a possible suspect with both motive and opportunity: Kenneth's friend Curtis Heck.
Curtis and Kenneth had gotten in a fight over a barmaid on October 3. Kenneth had damaged Curtis's truck, so his family believes that Curtis retaliated by killing Kenneth in his garage. The authorities, however, believe that he had died accidentally. They believe that Kenneth waited in his garage for Curtis to return, leaving the truck running. After the garage filled with carbon monoxide fumes, he turned off the truck and tried to leave, but passed out on the floor and died.Suspects: Curtis Heck is considered a possible suspect in Kenneth's death. The two were the last customers at Kunkle's Bar on the night of October 3. When the barmaid told Kenneth to leave, he said that he wanted to take her home. However, she told him that she was going home with Curtis. Curtis and Kenneth then got into a physical altercation at the bar. When Kenneth finally left the bar, he purposefully backed his car into Curtis's truck.
About an hour later, Curtis and the barmaid arrived at the Kenneth's trailer. He kicked Kenneth's car that was parked outside. He heard a groaning sound from the garage, so he decided to go inside. He found Kenneth laying on the floor. Curtis assumed that he was drunk, so he left him there.
Kenneth's family, however, doubts Curtis's story. They believe that the two men had another confrontation in the garage. After knocking Kenneth unconscious, they believe that Curtis left him there. According to their theory, he then went back in and turned the truck off.
However, the autopsy does not support his family's theory. The police maintain that the death was an accident.Extra Notes: This segment aired as part of the November 28, 1990 episode. This is one of the few segments where no photographs of the victim were shown (above is a photograph of the re-enactment actor).Results: UnsolvedLinks: